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James Saxon

James Saxon

Actor · Died July 2, 2003, aged 49 · Swindon, Wiltshire, England, UK

William James Smyth, better known by his stage name James Saxon, was an English television and theatre character actor. He began his career in British television productions in the early 1980s, and as the decade progressed he became an in-demand charismatic support actor. He died aged 49 on 2nd July 2003.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 6, 1954
Died
July 2, 2003 (aged 49)
From
Swindon, Wiltshire, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 35 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 23% in 30 days

What are James Saxon's films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
43%
Self
21%
Morality
15%
Power
13%
Survival
5%
Society
4%
Family bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 2 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 0 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 3 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
2
Joyful
2
Tense
2
Contemplative
2
Melancholic
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Feel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch James Saxon's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Saxon's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

35 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page.

  • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde(2003)

    as Dr. Johnson

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Prince and the Pauper(2000)

    as Father Abbot

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • In the Red (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Oswald Twist

  • Les Misérables(1998)

    as Chabouillet

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • McCallum(1995)

    Show 14 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Poldark(1996)

    as Prince Regent

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • England, My England (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Vyner

  • Sharpe's Honour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Major Vaughan

  • If You See God, Tell Him (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Barrister

  • Sharpe(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Vaughan

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • A Touch of Frost(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Mortuary Attendant

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Between the Lines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Maigret(1992)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Murder Most Horrid(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Young Adams

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • Time Riders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Lord Chalmerston

  • Soldier Soldier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as WO George Simms

  • Smack and Thistle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Wilks

  • Troublemakers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 5 episodes · as Boss

  • The Paradise Club (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 10 episodes · as DI Fairweather

  • Tales from the Crypt(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Evelyn Amberson

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Poirot(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Reggie Dyer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Twelfth Night, or What You Will (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Sir Toby Belch

  • The New Statesman(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Victor Crosby

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • A Prayer for the Dying(1987)

    as Ellerman

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Vanity Fair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 10 episodes · as Joseph 'Jos' Sedley

  • Brush Strokes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 5 episodes · as Phillip Crane

  • Biggles: Adventures in Time(1986)

    as Bertie

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Lovejoy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Julian Sadler

  • Family Ties Vacation(1985)

    as Luther Broder

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who: The Two Doctors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Oscar

  • Brass (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 32 episodes · as Morris Hardacre

  • We'll Meet Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 13 episodes · as Sgt Elmer Jones

  • The Nesting(1981)

    as Earl

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Minder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry

  • Doctor Who(1963)

    Show 3 episodes · as Oscar Botcherby

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 72nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 35 titles from 1963 to 2003; peak year 1998.

Highest rated

Biggles: Adventures in Time (1986)

Midcredits 34th

Most popular right now

McCallum (1995)

Film career

19632003

Peak 1998 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting35 of 35: 35 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score79th

By decade

1960s1 · acting1970s1 · acting1980s15 · acting1990s16 · acting2000s2 · acting

Billing

usually 17th · top billed in 0% of 5 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do James Saxon's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 42nd percentile, the median of all 8; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 36th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

44thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 17 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

Poldark (1996)

73rd percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Doctor Who (1963)

Midcredits 93rd · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 58/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 35. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does James Saxon work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Saxon's MovieCove titles; Stanislas Syrewicz shares the most, 2.